Doll package



April 28, 1953 Filed Feb. 6. 1950 [IITIFEH/Nl JITOi/Vifl Patented Apr. 28, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DOLL PACKAGE Lester F. Hinz, Los Gatos, Calif.

Application February 6, 1950, Serial No. 142,597

This invention relates to doll packages and methods of packing dolls and is particularly concerned with a package and method of packaging by which a doll may be packaged for display purposes in such manner as to permit full visibility of all of the doll while protecting the doll from damage due to handling and from airborne dust, dirt or other deterioration commonly encountered when dolls are openly displayed.

In the merchandising of dolls there is quite commonly a substantial expense to the merchant caused by the deterioration of the dolls exposed to view and the handling by the prospective customer. Not only do the customers frequently disarrange the dolls clothing and otherwise render the doll unfit for subsequent sale but the exposure of the dolls also subjects them to accumulation of dust and dirt carried and subjects them to temperature and humidity changes by which the fresh and starched appearance soon vanishes. Various attempts have been made to avoid such losses as by retaining the dolls in sealed display cabinets. This is objectionable to the prospective customer who wishes to have a close scrutiny of all parts of the dolls before purchase. Dolls have also been packaged in cardboard or like containers having a transparent cover which permits the doll package to be picked up and handled by the customer without subjecting the doll itself to injury. However, such packaging obviously precludes the view of all but the front of the dolls so packaged and as such is objectionable in limiting the inspection of the doll by the prospective customer. Dolls have also been packaged by envelopment in flexible transparent material such as cellophane or the like but while such packaging protects the doll and its clothing from direct contact by the purchaser and from the atmosphere, the flexibility of such enveloping material does not prevent the disarrangement of the clothing and the crushing of such elements as bows, hats and collars. By means of the present invention a new and improved doll package and method of packaging is provided by which the foregoing objections are avoided.

It is therefore among the primary objects of the present invention to provide a new and improved doll package by which a doll may be presented for complete inspection bythe customer without subjecting the doll to handling or manipulation by the customer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a doll and doll package combination by which a 6 Claims. (01. 206-4519) doll may be presented for full visual inspection of all the portions thereof and to an intimate scrutiny of the dress and habiliments of the doll without subjecting the doll to any physical contact during such inspection.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved method of packaging dolls whereby the doll may be fully visualized but protected at all times from any contact either with the prospective customer or with the surrounding atmosphere to the end that the shelf-life of the doll so packaged will be of indefinite duration.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a doll package and method of packaging dolls by which the doll may be encased and supported in a vertical position standing on its own feet and within a rigid transparent container through which all portions of the doll may be visible, and which may be turned and inverted without disturbing the location of the doll and its support within the receptacle.

A further specific and important feature of the present invention is the provision of a package and a method of packaging by which the doll may be retained in a rigid, transparent container with a support at both the head and the feet of the doll so as to insure against any movement of the doll within the container.

A further specific object of the present invention is to provide a container so constructed and arranged as to permit the insertion of a doll and to permit the expansion or spreading of the dolls hands and dress so as to permit a natural and artistically appearing arrangement of the doll in the receptacle.

A further specific object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved supporting and sealing means for a doll receptacle such as to provide a seal for the receptacle so as to preclude the subjection ofthe doll to varying temperature and humidity conditions of the environment in which the doll is displayed.

Another important object and feature of the invention is to provide a doll and doll package by which'the doll may be stored by the purchaser when not in use as when the child is through play and yet wishes to have the doll visible. in

-the present invention the doll may be readily inserted and removed from the receptacle by the child and thus preserved from injury or contamination.

Numerous other objects and features of the present invention will be aparent from a consideration of the-following specification taken in 3 conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation with parts shown in section of one preferred form of the present invention,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of that form of the invention shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a detail View of the head supporting cone of the present invention, and

Figure dis a sectional view taken on lines 4-4 of Figure 1.

In general terms the container of the present invention may be defined as a bottle being preferably formed of glass or like rigid transparent material and comprising a container of substantially greater intermediate width than the width of either end thereof, while the front and back are perfectly flat and substantially parallel. Both the closed end and the open neclt are generally circular with the open neck providing a suitably large mouth for the bottle and being externally threaded for the reception of a closure cap. The container is provided at its closed end with a substantially frusto-conical head receiving and supporting element which is adapted to engage the head of the doll to support and retain it. The head receiving element is preferably formed of transparent and slightly flexible material so as to provide some yieldability by which the doll may be supported with some degree of flexibility. The enlarged open end of the receptacle is adapted to receive a doll supporting base member in the form of a cap which engages the outer rim of the container neck and which is provided with means for securing the feet of the doll thereto, such means preferably being in the form of an elastic band which may engage the ankles of the doll and be secured to the cap so that the doll is supported between the head support and the cap and is under yieldable elastic tension so as to retain the doll against movement with respect to the container and is spaced so as to preclude direct contact of the doll with the walls of the container. It being noted that the extended intermediate width of the container permits an attractive and artistic spreading of the doll garment so that the doll may be effectively displayed to the best advantage. The container is closed and permanently sealed by suitable screw closure of conventional form by which the supporting cap is retained in position and by which the container is sealed.

The method of packaging consists in the mounting of the doll on the cap, preparing a suitable transparent rigid container by the application thereto of the head supporting member and the insertion of the doll in inverted position with the head towards the enclosed end of the container and engaged by the support and with the feet secured at the open end of the container and engaged by the closure cap, and the subsequent sealing of the container with a readily removable closure. It will be understood that on display the container is mounted in what is usually considered an inverted position with the closure acting as the supporting surface for the container.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral I9 is used to indicate generally the receptacle which is here disclosed such as glass of rigid fully transparent material. The particular receptacle here disclosed as preferable is one having a closed end portion ll of slightly concavo-convex form which end portion ll corresponds to what is usually assumed to be the base of the bottle or like receptacle. The opposite side walls of the receptacle include outwardly tapering sections l2 adjacent the end H and continuing more gradually outwardly flaring Walls [3 which form the intermediate wide section of the container and terminate in a radius [4 together with bottom side walls [5 which extend inwardly to merge into the neck portion 6. The neck [6 is preierably formed with the usual external neck bead l1 and threads I8. As will be noted more particularly in Figure 2 the front and back [9 and 20 respectively of the receptacle are preferably substantially fiat and lie parallel to each other merging in radii 2! with the side portions l2, l3, l4 and I5 and are preferably substantially parallel with the contour of the neck [6 which forms an enlarged mouth 22 through which the doll may be readily inserted and Withdrawn.

As shown more clearly in Figures 1 and 3, there is inserted at the circular end H of the receptacle a head supporting frusto-conical element 25 which may preferably be formed of transparent substantially rigid but partially resilient material such as heavy cellophane, the circumference of the enlarged end of the frusto-conical shell 25 is preferably in conformity to the inner diameter of the end H so that the element 25 may be received against the end ll and engaged at the juncture of the edge of the end I! with the side portions I2 and with the front and back I 9 and 28 so as to securely seat the element 25 against relative movement with respect to the receptacle. The element 25 is here shown as formed of a continuous stifi material which is wound upon itself in overlapping relation and it may preferably be permitted to leave the overlapping ends unsecured so as to permit the normal tendency toward expansion and uncoiling of the material to assist in adjusting its contour to the diameter of the juncture of the end H with the wall sections l2. As indicated at 26, the smaller end of the frusto-conical section 25 is preferably cut to form a concave edge which may conform to the head or hat of the doll. While the scallop thus formed at the edge, as indicated at 26, conforms to the particular configuration of the head and hat of the doll depicted it will, of course, be understood that in many instances such scallop need not be provided and in other instances a different configuration may be provided in order to conform with the particular head, hat, hair or ribbon arrangement of the doll to be disposed within the receptacle.

The doll itself is generally indicated by the numeral 28 and may be of any size, shape or configuration, it being understood of course that the invention is not concerned with the particular type or style of doll which may be packaged in accordance with the present invention. Suiiic it therefore to say that the doll here depicted is of generally conventional character and is provided with clothing of feminine type including an outwardly flaring skirt which is accommodated within the outwardly flaring mid-section of the container. While the preferred embodiment of the invention here presented shows a doll of the v{131111111116 type with flaring Skirts and provides a receptacle so configured as to receive and artistically display such doll, it is understood that the invention is in .no way limited to this style of doll nor to this configuration-of container.

The doll 28 is mounted to stand in life-like position upon a supporting cap 30 to the fiat flexible central body 3! of which there is attached by means of a simple clip 32 a circular rubber band 33 which extends from the clip outwardly to encircle each ankle of the doll so as to flexibly retain the feet in position upon the central body 3| of the disc. The supporting cap is provided with side edges 34 which terminate in an outwardly turned lip 35, the diameter of the flange 34 being in conformity with the internal diameter of the mouth 22 of the neck I6 so as to provide for the retention of the cap within the mouth against movement with respect to the container.

While the disc 30 may be secured within the container in any desired manner the invention contemplates the use of a simple screw closure 38 which may be provided with an inner sealing element 37 of conventional form.

In considering the foregoing it will of course be understood that the height of the doll packaged within the container is such as to be just slightly less than the distance between the cap 30 and the end H, the intermediate distance being taken up by the supporting element 25. Since the element 25 is flexible as is the fiat por tion 31 of the cap 30 the doll will be secured in spaced relation to the walls of the container and adequately supported at both ends and will be supported by resilient means whereby vibrations will not be imparted from the container to the doll and whereby slight vibration of the doll within the container may be accommodated. Thus the doll is supported in a cushioned manner so as to insure against breakage.

As indicated above, the method of the present invention contemplates the insertion of the head supporting element 25, the mounting of the doll upon the disc 30 or like supporting element and the insertion of the doll with its head engaged with the member 25 and thereafter a sealing by which the disc 30 is secured against movement and thus the doll is ready for transportation and display with the bottle in what would be usually considered an inverted position, the closure of the bottle acting as a support therefor.

As hereinbefore noted the doll is adapted to be inserted and removed by the child herself so that the doll may be protected while not in use. It will also be noted that the doll may remain secured to the disc 30 so as to provide a removable doll stand which will support the doll and retain it in self-supported vertical position if desired.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention provides a packaged doll, together with a method of packaging by which the doll is insured against injury during transportation and is guarded against injury, dirt and disarrangement while fully displayed for complete inspection by the prospective customer. It will be understood of course that the present invention is not limited to the specific structural details herein illustrated and described by way of example and that numerous changes and modifications in the full use of equivalents may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as outlined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters vPatent is:

1. A doll package comprising a rigid transparent receptacle having a closed end and an open mouth, means at said closed end to engage a dolls head, a doll wholly within said receptacle mounted with its head engaging said means, a disc at the mouth of the receptacle and means on said disc for detachably connecting the dolls feet to said disc.

2. A doll package comprising a rigid transparent receptacle having a closed end and an open mouth, means at said closed end to engage a dolls head, a doll wholly within said receptacle mounted with its head engaging said means, a disc at the mouth of the receptacle and means on said disc for securing the dolls feet to said disc, said means comprising a rubber band the central portion of which is clipped to said disc leaving its looped ends free to encircle the dolls feet.

3. A doll package comprising a rigid transparent receptacle having a closed end and an open mouth, a yieldable frusto-conical element at said closed end to engage a dolls head, a doll wholly within said receptacle mounted with its head engaging said element, a disc at the mouth of the receptacle, and means on the disc for securing the dolls feet to said disc, said means comprising resilient loops encircling the dolls feet.

4. A doll package comprising a rigid transparent receptacle having a closed end and an open mouth, yieldable means at said closed end to engage a dolls head, a doll wholly within said receptacle mounted with its head engaging said means, a disc at the mouth of the receptacle and means on the disc for detachably connecting the dolls feet thereto.

5. A doll package comprising a rigid transparent receptacle having a closed end and an open mouth, means at said closed end to engage a dolls head, a doll wholly within said receptacle mounted with its head engaging said means, the doll having its feet separate and unconnected, a disc at the mouth of the receptacle, and means on said disc for detachably connecting the dolls feet to said disc.

6. A doll package comprising a rigid transparent receptacle having a closed end and an open mouth, a doll wholly within said receptacle, a disc at the mouth of the receptacle, means on said disc for securing the dolls feet thereto, and means at the closed end of the receptacle having an opening of a size smaller than the head of the doll to adapt the latter mean to fit on the dolls head to confine the doll against lateral movement.

LESTER F. I-IINZ.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 689,377 Beiser Dec. 24, 1901 1,188,871 Wittstein June 27, 1916 1,240,376 Saucier Sept. 18, 1917 1,471,167 Jung Oct. 16, 1923 1,570,403 Rapczinske Jan. 19, 1926 1,704,414 Weber Mar. 5, 1929 1,781,983 Koch Nov. 18, 1930 1,842,072 C'ollingbourne Jan. 19, 1932 1,932,353 Pflueger Oct. 24, 1933 2,021,070 Levine Nov. 12, 1935 2,046,854 Simpson July 7, 1936 2,097,304 Richards Oct. 26, 1937 8 ,711 Harris Nov. 1, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 173,176 Great Britain Dec. 29, 1921 443,441 Germany Apr. 28, 1927 

